PAST EVENT

A Candid Window into the American Criminal Justice System

M. Gerald Schwartzbach, Author, Leaning on the Arc

Nationally renowned criminal defense attorney M. Gerald (Gerry) Schwartzbach, best known for winning the acquittal of actor Robert Blake, has written Leaning on the Arc. Mr. Schwartzbach argues that true justice can only happen when we refuse to objectify a criminal defendant—whether it is Robert Blake, civil rights activist Stephen Bingham, transplant surgeon Hootan Roozrokh, or anyone else. Actor/writer Peter Coyote has written that Leaning on the Arc is a “fascinating book packed with great tales of injustice subverted by intelligence and passion.”

Commonwealth Club

The leading national forum open to all for the impartial discussion of public issues important to the membership, community and nation. The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. Each year, we bring nearly 500 events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy to more than 25,000 members and the public, both in-person and via an extensive online and on-air listenership and viewership.